Vintage Notes 2016

The 2016 season began much cooler and dryer than normal providing ample time to finish pruning, tying, and hilling down in March and April. Bud-break was in the first week of May, with very little rain. From May 10th through the second week in August there was no rain, lots of sunshine, and reasonably high temperatures. August however, was off the chart at 20% hotter than the last 5 years. Nighttime temperatures in August drove most of that increase, and September saw the same increase over the 5 year average (noting that 2013 was just as hot). October started warm in the first couple weeks, changing to normally cool conditions for the end of the month. Rainfall never returned to normal in 2016, but the dry conditions promoted great concentration in our reds, great flavor profiles in our whites, and eliminated disease pressure. 2016 should prove to be a stellar vintage here at Sheldrake Point.